Umbrella.



K. GONNORS.

UMBRELLA. APPLICATION FILED 117N318, 1907.

962,318. Patented June 21,1910.

@11 6 he use:

KATHRYN GONNORS, OF SIOUX- FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters latcnt.

Patented June 21, 1910.

Application filed June 18, 1907. Serial No. 379,613.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KATHRYN Connors, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sioux Falls, in the county of Minnehaha and State of SouthDakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in umbrellas and parasols,particularly with reference to the provision of means whereby the same,when not in use, may be compactly folded so as to occupy but littlespace and be thereby enabled to be carried in a valise or the like, andthe said invention consists in the construction, combination andarrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure l is partly an elevation and partlya sectional view, illustrating the construction of my improved umbrella,showing the same extended. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the samefolded. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing a portion of thejointed rib, and also showing the base connected to the rib. Fig. 4. isa detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 ofFig. 3. F ig. 5 is asimilar View taken on the plane indicated by theline 5-5 of Fig. 3. ig. 6 is a detail elevation showing the joinedportions of the stud or the rod and also showing the lower portion ofthe tubular guide and coupling stail element.

The stafi' or rod of my improved umbrella, parasol or the like isfoldable and is composed of a. plurality of flexibly jointed members.The lower member 1 is here shown as having its upper end connected tothe lower end of the upper member :2 by a link 3, which link has its endportions disposed in transverse slots or kerfs in the meeting ends ofthe said members and pivotally connected to such members, as at 4. Thelower memher 1 is provided at a suitable distance from its upper endwith a shoulder 5 and with a locking tongue 6 which projects from suchshoulder. The upper member 2 is here shown as provided near its upperand lower ends, respectively, with spring catches 7, 8.

In connection with the flexibly jointed members of the staff or rod 1.also employ an element which in the embodiment of my invention hereshown performs certain of the functions of a staff and also serves as aguide and coupling for the flexibly jointed members of the staff or rodproper to lock such members in extended alining position and effect a riid coupling between such members when he umbrella is in use. Suchguiding and coupling stufi element is here shown as a tube 9, ofsuitable length and diameter, and in which the upper member of the stallproper is adapted to slidelongitudinzlillly, the lower member oflthedstafi' pro or own its u or ortion a so a apted t o slide 1%"'tuEliilall in such tubular guide and coup ing sta element 9. The uppermember 2 of the staff proper is dis posed in and is slidably related tosuch staff element 9, and the latter is provided at suitable distancefrom its upper end with a locking opening 10, at a point near its centerwith another opening 11, and near its lower end with a similar opening12. In the lower end of the said staff element 9 is a slot 13 adapted toreceive the tongue 6 of the lower staff member 1 when the rod or staffis in extended position and its joint incased by the tubular stafielement 9 to prevent such stafl roper from turning in such tubular staelement. Such tubular staff element has a notch 14 at its upper end forthe pivotal attachment of the ribs.

.A runner 15 slides upon the tubular element 9 and has the usual openingwhich, when the runner is raised, is engaged by the spring catch 7 whichprojects also through the opening 10 in the element 9 to hold the member2 from movement in one direction, while the spring catch 8 engages theopening 11 to hold the member 2 from movement in the other direction,all as shown in Fig. 1. hen the umbrella is folded and the runnerdescends, it is engaged by the spring catch 8 which also engages theopening 12 in the element 9, the openings 10 and 11 are. then idle, andthe catch 7 is idle and compressed, ull as shown in Fig. 2. For thepurposes of this specification, only one rib is illustrated in thedrawings. Such rib is longitudinally extensible and comprises apinrality of ointed members. The rib is here shown as comprising anupper member 16, the upper end of which is )ivotally connected to thenotch ll, us at 1, and :1- lower member 18 which is slidahly connectedto such upper member. The upper member is channc shaped in t 'ansvcrsesection to provide a groove or guidewuy 19 in its lower side for thereception of the lower member 18. Such channeled upper rib member 16 hasat its outer end a stop and bottom band 20 which closes the lower sideof such chau ncl. In the sides of such upper rib member at a suitabledistance from its outer end and at its lower edges are stop notches 21for en gugement by a pawl or other suitable form of catch 22, which ishere shown as pivoted to the upper portion of the lower rib member 18,as at 23. channel-shaped transversely for the major ortion of itslength. Its upper portion is liere shown as solid, at 24, and isprovided with a band 25 which extends around the outer surface of the uper rib member 16, such band enacting. wit 1 the lower or outer tubularportion 20 of the upper rib member to prevent the lower rib member frombecoming casually detached from the upper rib member, while permittingsuch lower rib member to be moved longitudinally with respect to theupper rib member, so that the rib may be lon itudinally extended orretracted. Each race 26 has its inner end pivotally connected to therunner 15, as at 27., and its outer end pivotally connected to a lug orcar 28 of one of the lower rib members, on the underside and near-theupper end of such lower rib member.

The cover 29 of the umbrella or arasol, which may be made of anysuitable fabric, has its outer edge connected to the outer ends of thelower I'lb members, as at 30. The upper or central portion of the coveris connected slidably to the upper rib member, as by means of slidesshown in the form of rings or loops 31, which are slidable on such upperrib members.

hen the umbrella is open for use, the upper end of the upper member 2 ofthe rod or stafi projects beyond the upper end of the tubular stallelement 9 so that the latter atits lower portion covers the flexiblejoint between t-he rod members 1, 2 and serves to stilfen the rod orstaff and these parts are so held by the catch 8 engaging the opening11. In this position of the umbrella the runner 15 is near the upper endof the staif element 9, and the catch 22 of each lower rib memher is inengagement with the notches 21 of each up 1' rib member so that the ribsare extended and subjected to tension which serves to stiffen theumbrella cover and hold the same in shape. In order to close theumbrella the spring catch 7 must be disengaged from the runner and thelatter moved downwardly on the tubular sta-fl element 9, to cause theribs to be drawn downwardly by the braces 26. The initial movement ofsuch braces causes the tension between the lower rib members and theupper rib members to be relaxed so that the Such lower rib member iscatches 22 drop from the hatches 21, and as the runner moves toward thelower end of the statf element the angular movement of the rib sectionscauses the lower members of the ribs to slide upwardly into the uppermembers thereof so that the ribs become shortened. During such movementof the ribs the lower members thereof cause the central portion of theumbrella cover to be disposed in folds, as shown in Fig. 2, by themovement of the rings or hoops 31 on the upper rib members. Afterdisengaging the spring catch 7 from the runner, the thumb of theoperators hand which is moving the runner will also disengage the springcatch 8 from the opening 11 (as all openings are in alinement) to unhookthe upper member 2 of the rod from the tubular staff element 9 so thatas the ribs are shortened and folded against the tubular staff elementthe upper member 2 of the staff proper may be moved downwardly to someextent in such tubular staff element to cause the catch 8 to engage theopening 12 of such tubular staff elementand thereby expose the flexiblejoint be tween the members of the stall proper and permit the member 1to be folded toward the member 2, as shown in Fi 2, so that the entireumbrella may be folded into the least possible space.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

An umbrella whose staff comprises two members and a link connecting thempivotally with each other, the up er member having two alined springcatc es facing away from each other, a tubular clement surrounding saidstaff and slidable thereon from a position covering the link to aposition on the upper member wholly above the link, said element havingthree alined openings of which the lowermost is idle and the othersengage said catches when the umbrella is open and the staff membersalined with the tubular element, and the lowermost catch engages thelowermost opening and the link stands across the lower end of saidtubular element when the umbrella is closed; the ribs, the braces, and arunner sliding on said element and having an opening engaged by theuppermost catch when the umbrella is open and by the lowermost when itis closed and the stafi members folded on their link.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KATHRY N (X )NN( )1 h.

Witnesses:

Aoonrn J. Ilmcmsnonr, Gnoucm HILGENDORF.

